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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24773680">Four Weddings and a Funeral</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44'>j_whirl44</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, i did not know how to tag The Children I apologize, nothing graphic but it is a death so just to be safe, the MCD is kinda implied in the title (and in the last chapter), this is v soft I promise i'm gonna miss these kids so much</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:13:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24773680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasha watches her kids get married and reflects her own life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Grizzop drik Acht Amsterdam &amp; Sasha Racket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Azus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Me after the Roman Rogues episode 1: aw cute imagine them all growing up and getting married!<br/>Lydia in the discord: Anyways I think Sasha's funeral would look like this....<br/>Me: D':</p><p>so I wrote it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s Azus that gets married first. He’s barely twenty and Sasha never says it out loud but she thinks that too young. She knows though that Azus’ heart is too big to worry about such things and the day he came home with a new friend in tow, a smile brimming on his face from ear to ear, she knew what would happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re well good at fighting, ma,” he says to her one day. As well as a long list of what makes them just so great. They met on a job, apparently, and Azus got so flustered he almost stepped into a trap and they saved him. Sasha just grins through it and tries to listen. It’s a weird feeling she’s having, she imagines it’s normal for any parent or guardian; watching someone you care about and raised up find their own way in life and fall in love. She thinks it’s very fitting that Azus is the first; he is named after a fiercely loyal paladin of Aphrodite after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s the night he comes to her telling her his plans to marry that she tells him about Azu. Sure she’s mentioned her before in bits and pieces, but there’s always been a blind spot there that kept her from going into too much detail. She grabs Azus’ hand, “She had a very open heart. Whenever the group started to argue she’d be there, making painfully sure that everyone basically knocked it off and be kinder to each other,” Sasha laughs a bit at that and Azus smiles. He’s now taken to just clinging on to Sasha like he did when he was younger and she’s too old and sentimental now to really stop him. “She never gave up on me from the moment we met, she always kept looking for me even when I didn’t want to be found,” she looks down at Azus, “You two would’ve gotten on. I’m sure of it,” she says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thinks a moment, then she wakes over to one of her dresser drawers and opens it up. She takes out the small dagger. She rubs a finger over the handle and smiles down on it. She hands it to Azus, who starts to inspect it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s old, the wooden handle has been sanded down and resealed so many times. Azus could just make out a small engraving towards the pommel; it reads ‘Brock.’ Sasha sees his questioning gaze and just smiles, “Someone who was kind to me. You should keep the dagger. A wedding gift from me, I suppose. Don’t really know how these things work but,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Azus gets up and hugs her, she sighs and returns it. If Hamid could see her now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She really means it when she says she doesn’t know the first thing about weddings, let alone how they went on in Ancient Rome, so she brings along Cicero and his many contacts to help plan. His siblings heckle him throughout the whole process, but Sasha also sees the quiet moments her kids share with each other. The ones where they just sit and talk and lean on one another. It’s moments like that where she wishes they didn’t grow up as fast as they did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> In the end, the ceremony is small and sweet. It’s about as simple as any Roman wedding goes but she knows that’s just what Azus and his new partner want. She wishes now more than ever that Azu was here to witness this. The ceremony ends and the party really begins. They spend the night dancing and laughing and after a few days Azus moves on with his new life. They don’t go far and visit as often as they can, but it’s not the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha doesn’t mind.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Amidus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Amidus is next and gods Sasha never would have thought she’d see the day. He’s done so well at running the business side of the new organization Sasha’s founded, but she knows as well as anyone he wasn’t the most agreeable of people.</span>
  <span>To be fair, a lot of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>louder</span>
  </em>
  <span> opinions seemed to fizzle out as he grew older and Sasha always  saw behind his facade, but others weren’t too quick to pick it up. Plus, he’s always been the more...open one when it came to love and relationships. His partners never stuck around for long and Sasha’s had to bail him out of many different lovers' quarrels with all different types of people and she imagines this is what Hamid thinks he was like when they met all those years ago and she has to laugh. The two couldn’t be much more different in their convictions, but they had the same heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it comes as a surprise when he comes to her one day and tells her he’s getting married. To a very smart girl that Sasha’s seen around here once or twice helping with the money side of things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right and how did you convince her to marry you,” Sasha says to him. Her tone is soft and teasing and Amidus, though twenty-two now rolls his eyes and sticks his tongue out her in mock offense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then his face softens and the man is even blushing, she smirks at him, “I don’t know but here we are and I just...really like her,” he says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha walks over to him and places a hand on his cheek. He’s much taller now and has a strong frame so he towers over her, but he’s never been threatening with it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially </span>
  </em>
  <span>not to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She remembers she has something for him and she thought now's as good a time as any. She walks to her desk where a small codex is laid. It was worn and pretty much falling apart but she brings it to Amidus. “This was Cicero’s,” she says, “He left it to you, uh, you were on a trip and I just was trying to find the right time to give it to you, but now works. It seems like it’s all his writings, a lot he never published. There’s some space in the back for your own ideas I think. If you ever feel the need,” she explains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes it carefully and runs a hand along the front cover and down the spine. He smiles at his mother and gives her a kiss on the forehead. It’s a soft moment shared between the two and she knows it’s a moment that he’ll still try and deny happens. She pushes him out the room and sighs. Another wedding to plan and this time Ciecero isn’t here to help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, the man seemed to actually have rubbed off on Amidus. He planned the whole thing himself. He used all his connections to make sure anyone who’s anyone attended. Sasha didn’t recognize half the people but they all seemed to know who she was. The ceremony went much of the same with Sasha noticing Amidus trying and failing to hide tears falling during the vows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reception was filled with his loud voice all night. Telling stories people have no doubt heard a hundred times. The crowd was getting annoyed and Sasha could see the other siblings rolling their eyes and trying to get him to shut up by shoving more wine down his throat, but that only made him louder. They should’ve known that by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s when his new bride stepped when he finally stopped talking. The crowd around him gave her a round of applause and Amidus pouted for a few moments as he mended the blow to his ego. It was a lovely night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twins came not soon after, and Sasha wasn’t raised to be a mother let alone a grandmother, but here she was. They stuck to her like glue as Amidus stayed on the compound with his family. Helping his mother when he could but the kids were a handful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha mused at how peaceful it was.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Riz</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s Riz next and Sasha can’t help but smile at that. Her soft and gentle boy had a habit of falling in love so easily and it was hard to see him suffer heartbreak after heartbreak. She watched him never give up on it though and she truly is overjoyed when he comes to her saying that </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> was actually the one to propose to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It turns out that it’s also the girl he wrote that first love letter to all those years ago. Sasha remembers her now, a friend of Wilde, who hung around while the others were training. She never seemed interested in the fighting side of it, but she did watch Riz much of the time. Sasha’s not all that surprised that it’s them two in the end, regardless of Wilde’s interference of stealing the letter in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s even taller now than he was at thirteen and still just as skinny. He’s been training at the temple of Ops almost full time now and he’s let his hair grow longer, it’s almost down to his shoulders now. His green robes make him truly look like he’s one with the forest and Sasha’s so proud, she hopes Grizzop would be too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s rambling on and on and Sasha notices the plants in her room start to grow ever so slightly. She holds up a hand to gently stop Riz before they’re surrounded. He gives her a sheepish smile and apologizes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha goes to her dresser and takes out a small box. It’s full of jewelry and old things she’s found over the years of searching. She never wears any of it but she keeps it in hopes they find new homes someday. She takes out a necklace that has a small flower on it. It’s pink and green and has a gold chain. It’s small and simple but she guesses that in the back of her mind it reminded her of Riz when she saw it and that’s why she kept it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gingerly hands it to him and Riz inspects it with those kind eyes he’s always had. He smiles and unclapses it and puts it around his neck. He tucks it under his robes and hugs Sasha who gets squeezed so hard it knocks the wind out of her but she reciprocates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She imagines Grizzop looking at the two of them right now and rolling his eyes before he would eventually jump in and latch onto both of them. She can almost feel him now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like his siblings before him, they get married at the compound, but further into the woods. The sun shines down right where the altar is and the weather is almost too perfect to be coincidence. Ops must really take a shine to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowds at these weddings are getting bigger and bigger as time goes on and Sasha still feels pretty uncomfortable around it all, but she loves her kids and loves seeing them happy and grown so she’s mostly able to stick to the shadows and observe. Just like she’s always done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riz moves on, of course, being a cleric and helping those in need. He finds some kids of his own to take in and he often sends letters to Sasha begging to tell him what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sits in her room and laughs at the desperate tones in his letters. She often writes back that she has no clue herself, but he turned out okay, so she must’ve done something right.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Wilde</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Finally, it’s Wilde’s turn. Sasha’s surprised when she comes home with engagement news. It’s never been something she thought was on Wilde’s radar, at least not in the same way as it was with her brothers, but she’s happy nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a man she met while touring the countryside. Always the little traveler, Wilde spent much of her time now traveling and exploring, writing home when she can and visiting often. It’s a life she’s well suited for and Sasha knows she has the head on her shoulders for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was so annoying at first, mama,” Wilde says. They’re sitting in the kitchen and eating way too much bread, but who’s to stop them. “Then he just...wasn’t annoying anymore. Why does that happen,” she muses. Sasha sees the lovestruck look on her face and can’t help but smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugs, “I’m not really one to ask. Never got many connections that way,” she says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilde looks at her, “Yeah, me too, but sometimes…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes it happens,” Sasha finishes. She grabs Wilde’s hand and squeezes it, “and it’s something to be celebrated,” she says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a quiet moment between them and Sasha snorts, “Have you told your brothers yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilde groans, “No! It took everything to not let Azus come on this trip with me and he’s gonna be insufferable about coming back with a fiance,” she says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha laughs and shakes her head, “He’ll be fine. It might be Amidus you have to worry about,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spend the next couple minutes laughing and reminiscing about the boys and everything they’ve been through, beginning with that awful Zeus statue “heist.” Sasha’s heart is full as she watches her daughter double over in laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wedding planning this time around is a whole new league. Wilde imports things Sasha’s never even heard of and the deliveries don’t stop for days until the wedding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She squabbles with Amidus over what goes where while her partner just sits back and watches all it happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s the day of and it’s pouring down rain. A lot of the decorations are ruined and guests are complaining. Wilde is nowhere to be found. Riz runs off, insisting he can fix this and Sasha thinks of where to find the bride-to-be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s sitting in the kitchen again and Sasha knocks on the wall to announce her presence. Wild jumps and tries to hide her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Sasha says. Wilde doesn’t answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sits down next to her but gives her space. It’s a silent moment with just the sound of rain taking up space. “It’s ruined,” Wilde says. Her voice is so small that Sasha’s heart squeezes. Her child is hurting, and that’s the worst feeling in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha places a small pin on the table in front of them. Wilde looks at it. It’s a hair pin. It’s simple but the symbol on top of it is a harp that’s reminded Sasha of both Wildes when she bought it a few weeks ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilde picks it up and looks at it and a small smile creeps onto her face. She looks over at Sasha, the tears on her face start to dry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha takes the pin and places it into her hair. It takes a bit of maneuvering but it works.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There. Looks perfect,” Sasha says. Wilde leans into her now and puts her head into Sasha’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Wilde, I know the weather’s rotten but this is a day to celebrate not cry in the kitchen with you old mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilde moves to curl into Sasha’s side, something she hasn’t done since she was a kid, it’s awkward now as they’re both adults but neither moves, “Isn’t it though,” Wilde sulks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Always the dramatic one, Sasha thinks. She’s reminded of Oscar Wilde and smiles. Yeah, they would’ve gotten on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain stops. Riz returns beaming from ear to ear as he claims he had something to do with it. Sasha doesn’t rule out anything anymore so she smiles and announces the start of the ceremony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her three brothers are there to walk her down aisle. Sasha can’t stop beaming. It’s an awkward exchange of vows as everything’s now a bit too soggy and humid, but by the look on Wilde’s face you wouldn’t know it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha thinks she’s getting too old for all these parties and all she wishes to do now is rest her old bones, but instead she dances with her daughter and leans on her sons well into the night. She sees the sunrise on the horizon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilde and her husband leave on a long trip after that. Sasha doesn’t know when she’ll see her again, but until then she has her memories.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sasha</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sasha knew she was dying. It wasn't anything painful or bad; it's just something she knew.</p><p>
  <em> It happened in a dream that came to her last year when she was leaving the temple of Artemis. She was in a field but everything around her was so bright it was hard to see. She stood up and followed the sound of...something she couldn't quite make out. The bright lights never subsided but she could make out the outline of something, or someone. She felt warmth creep in her body as the outline became just clearer then she saw him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Grizzop. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She reached out but the outline quickly faded away into the blinding light. It was replaced by a tall figure walking towards her. She saw now that is was a woman who was beautiful. Ethereal. Sasha's never seen a god before but she just knew who this was. She's never been that stupid. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Artemis stands in front of her. Face warm but not quite gentle. She had scars that peppered her face but that didn’t hinder her beauty in any way. It made her face strong. Tough. The goddess reached out and placed a hand on Sasha's shoulder. She could cry from the sheer weight of it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Artemis spoke without moving her lips, "Soon, but not now." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasha’s vision blurs as Artemis falls out of view, the blinding light fades away into darkness. Sasha stands alone in the woods but she’s not scared. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She woke up with a warm spot still on her shoulder as well as a pleasant tightness in her heart. She knew then that would be her last trip to the temple. </em>
</p><p>She returned home and and saw her kids. Saw their kids; Amidus' twins ran up to her and yelled their greetings. She laughed and gave them hugs and gentle kisses on their heads.</p><p>She now sits at a small run down old desk that was Cicero's at one point, something she inherited when he died a few years past. She smiles down at the paper as she puts down her final thoughts.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em> 'Sometimes you can't save the world, but you can save a person. I believe that I'll see you again and get to tell you that... </em>
</p><p>Light a candle for Grizzop for me.'<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>She signs her name, her true family name, and cries a few tears as she folds up the letter and seals it. She smiles as she lets the wax dry, the one day infamous symbol solidify. Seeing it's safe to touch she brings it up to her lips and kisses it.</p><p>She puts the letter away for safekeeping. She'll have to let one of the kids know where to find it when the time's right, but for now it's just hers and she heads to bed to think of her friends in the future. The smile doesn't leave her face.</p><p>She spends the rest of her days working and planning as any matriarch would. It's Riz that notices first how her mobility is decreasing faster and faster. He insists she takes it easy; let Amidus or Sagax handle the business side of things for a bit. She insists she's okay, but doesn't turn down his offers for whatever medical herbs he assures her will help.</p><p>Then her eyesight isn't what it once was and she can't work once the sun goes down, the small light from torch flames are no use for her anymore. So she spends her evenings sitting out in the courtyard, listening to the younger children play and laugh.</p><p>She knows she's dying and she smiles through it all. Because it isn’t sad. Not really.</p><p>One night she gathers the kids in her room to talk about it all. Usually by now she's planning her trip to the temple, but she knows she's too old to make it now. She'd rather die here, surrounded by her family.</p><p>The kids take it as well as to be expected. Azus cries almost instantly and clings to her, Wilde holds her hand and places her head on Sasha's shoulder. Amidus stands tall over them but his face is soft and his eyes are shiny. Riz sits in silence and stares at his hands. She sees them all as those wide eyed teenagers again; except they're not. They all have their own lives and families now and she couldn't be happier.</p><p>She tells them of the letter. Riz promises to make the trip to the temple this year and to deliver it to the proper place. She lets them embrace her in a group hug as they leave her to rest.</p><p>She passes a few nights later, her last memories linger on her kids; she hopes she did right by them.</p><p>
  <em> Grizzop is waiting for her; she smiles and hugs her old friend. He runs off with that wicked and toothy smile of his. She follows behind, running faster than she had in years. </em>
</p><p>Her funeral is a practically a month long celebration, because why would it be any less. It’s organized by Amidus, with considerable implementation from Wilde, and it’s filled with all of Sasha’s favorite things. Word hits of her death and it’s truly a global affair as people from all over the organization come and pay their respects.</p><p>She's asks to be cremated. She has her ashes spread at the sea for Zolf; the forest for Grizzop; the mountains for Azu; the gardens by the piazza for Hamid; and even at the aviary for Bertie.</p><p>She's at peace now, and that's the perfect place to be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>annnnnnnnnd there you have it!</p><p>Kinda different than what i intended originally but hey!</p><p>I loved this sidequest so much I'll miss those disaster children immensely. (and Sasha but like I am always missing Sasha)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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